Poll: Voters see state Senate battle as farce, bad for New Yorkers

PHOTOGRAPHER: The Associated Press

A new poll shows the power struggle that has paralyzed New York’s Senate for the past two weeks has hurt the senior house in the view of New Yorkers, who at a record level now see the state headed in the wrong direction.

The Siena College poll also found Democratic Gov. David Paterson getting a favorable rating from 31 percent of New Yorkers, while 57 percent still consider him unfavorably. Those are his best numbers in the Siena poll since February.

Overall, the poll found 63 percent of New Yorkers think the state is headed in the wrong direction. For the first time, that feeling is shared by every political party, region and age group.

Siena surveyed 626 voters from last Monday through Thursday. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus nearly 4 points.